Movable plate applicable to the manufacture of positive cinematograph-films and process of obtaining the same.



A. BOULARAN DIT DEVAL.

MOVABLE PLATE APPLICABLE TO THE MANUFACTURE OF POSITIVE CINEMATOGHAPHFILMS AND PROCESS OF OBTAINING THE SAME.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 20, I915.

1 ,2 l 2,%6 Patented Jan. 16, 1917.

Fig.2

o o C) Q I O (D O o AZQZ-2II'ZM'MZ XENEZLZ ATTUF 'NEY WEED dTATES ABELBOULARAN, nrr DEVAL, F PARIS, FRANCE.

MOVABLE PLATE APPLICABLE TO THE MAN UFACTURE OF POSITIVE CINEMATOGRAPH-FILMS AND PROCESS OF OBTAINING THE SAME.

Application filed May 20, 1915.

To all whom it may mneern lie it known that l, Anni. Boumuax, (Z'itDevan, a citizen of the Republic of France,

residing at Paris, France, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Movable Plates Applicable to the ll'lanufacture ofPositive Cinematograph-Films and Processes of Obtaining the Same, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The Sohier process of printing with gelatinous inks, more particularlyapplicable to the manufacture of positive cinematograph films, is wellknown. This system is characterized by the use of a block in relief 15which also has the shape of a flexible band or film and is intended toreceive printing ink in order to deposit it on the band or film to beprinted during the passage through a rolling train. This block has beencalled by the inventor a movable plate, and several processes have beendescribed for manufacturing it of celluloid or other similar material.

The present process chiefly consists in producing on a positivephoto-print itself the reliefs to be utilized in the rest of theoperations, so that the movable plate obtained should comprise anegative in relief superposed on a black positive, the inventionresiding not only in such process itself,

but also in the plate produced thereby.

The process is as follows:\/Vh'en a positive band or film mounted on asupport of any suitable material the like is available, the front faceof the said band (that is to say, the face provided with the gelatinlayer) is coated with bichromated gelatin melted hot (which is known notto be sensitive in that state). When the 40 layer thus described hasbegun to set through cooling, to the still viscous surface is applied aband of black paper called aiguille and the composite or laminated bandor film thus prepared, is dried in the dark. The

back of said positive film is then exposed to light for the desiredtime.

the action of The exposure, which may be effected while the film iseither fiat or wound on a cylinder,

in passing through the positive image, produces as is Well known, agradual insolubilizing of the layer of bichromated gelatin.

7 This layer, as soon as it has been so exposed, is subjected to theaction of a suitable mordant so as to prepare for the subse uent washingaway of the non-exposed port ons. To that Specification of LettersPatent.

such as celluloid or 'a band of black Patented Jan. 16, 191?.

Serial No. 29,454.

end, the cylinder on which the film is wound, could be for instancedipped into a bath of calcium hypochlorite or other mordant. Thisoperation which does not leave any visible trace, and may be consideredas a latent development, is nevertheless indispensable, in order toenable the washing away which takes place subsequently, to be carriedout to its extreme limits, and to on able the maximum fineness to beobtained. During the operation, the black paper band secured at thebeginning of the operation, as already stated, to the gelatinous layer,becomes detached and drops ofi. The Washing away is then effected in anywell known method, as for instance by immersion in hot water. It isfollowed by tanning the reliefs for the purpose of hardening them,whereupon the film is finally dried. By way of example, the followingmethod may be given for carrying out the tanning in question:

The film or band is dipped into a bath of potassium bichromate, thenexposed to the sun, dried, dipped again into a solution of chrome alum,dried and finally dipped into a bath of formol and dried. The movable.plate of the Sohier process is thus constituted; for utilizing it,it'is merely necessary to mount it on a photoglyptic continuous printingpress, and to ink it with colored gelatinous solutions.

Instead of coating the positive band with bichromated gelatin, it couldbe covered with a band of gelatin ready made. To' that end, it would besufiicient to immerse the positive band in a bath of suitablecomposition, adapted to render the surface slightly viscous. The twobandswould then simultaneously immersed in a batli of hichromate, thecomposition of which is well known, and they would bewithdrawn together,gelatin against gelatin, the air bubhles occluded between the saidtwobands being expelled for instance by means of a rubber roller;Moreover, as already stated, ap'er would be applied to thefree face of te gelatin. The remaining operations would bathe same as before. theother hand, to the process just described, the positive band or filmbecomes a permanent part of the movable late. Ifit is desired to leaveOn' it will be seen that accordin the said ban available, it is obviousthat'it could be utilized for printing on mindependent band ofbichroinated I gelatin, ,lithe a White line on ness. This doublemarginal band which, dun ing the photoglyptic printing, guides andsupports horizontally the pressure roller, insures the greatest possibleuniformity in the deposit of the colored gelatinous ink. According tothe process just described, it is sullicient, in order to form the, saidmarginal edges by photographic process. to leave each of the edges ofthe:- so that the layer of bichromated gelatin which is situated on thesaid lines, is rendered insoluble when exposed to the sun, and does notdisappear at the moment of Washing away. Finally, it

following a method dewould be possible, 7

process described, to propositive block,

rivedfrom the dues in the known Way and with the aid of a positive film.a negative film, and to utilize the latter film for rendering,insoluble, according to the said described process, a hand ofbichrornated gelatin; this hichro-- mated gelatin band, after treatment,would be laminated, "while hot, to a celluloid band, on which thereliefs of the said gelatin band would be transferred in an ll'lYGlllQClmanner, the celluloid hand then becoming the movable printing plate. Itgoes Without saying that in such a case the double marginal band must bedrawn in black on the positive, instead. of being drawn in White.l-Zet'ercnce may he had to the accompanyrowing, forming a partof thespecification. in which drawing Figures 1 and 2 are, respectively, a.transverse section and a fragmental plan View, on an enlarged scale, ofa printing plate constructed in accordance ith my inv n tion, Fig. 1being taken on line AB of Fig. 2.

It will be assumed that the subject represented by this plate comprisesa mountain. the sea. a boat on the sea, and clouds in the sky. Thesection line passes through the mountain, the slcy and one of theclouds; and it will be observed that in the sectional View, the partc/,-/) corresponding to the mountain forms a. hollow or depressionwhich, at the instant of printing, will be filled with ink and Willproduce upon the lihn a shadow or shaded portion which Will havedifferent tones or depths from a to Z). From 7) to c, the section passesstraight across the sky, so that this part 7). a, will he in relief ofmaximum height, corresponding" to absolute White, and, at the instant ofprinting, will give no trace of ink Whatever upon the film. From to (Z,the section passes across the cloud; the tone or color of this part 0,a, will be intermediate that of the mountain and that of the sky, sothat the desired time the hollow or depression. as seen in Fig. 1, isless pronounced. than that of the yet is still an actual depressionwhich Will be filled with a thin layer of ink, so to produce upon thefilm a grayish tint corresponding to that of the cloud. From (Z to e,the section again passes straight across the sky, so that the sameremarks apply to this part as to the part c. On the edges, where theperforations are formed, the plate has relief portions corresponding tothe ab solute white of the above-mentioncd parts 5, c and (Z, 6, theserelief portions are those which are hereinabove termed the marginalbands.

Claims:

1. A process of manufacturing movable plates applicable, with the aid ofsuitable inlzg, to the continuous printing of positive ciuematographfilms, on supports of transparent material, consisting essentially in:applying to the front face of a positive photo-print film a layer ofbichromated gelatin; applying to said layer, While still viscous. astrip of black paper; exposing for the desired time to the action oflight, after drying, the back of the band thus prepared, so as to effecta gradual insolubilizing of the gelatin layer through the said filmsubjecting the gelatin layer, after having been so exposed to the light,to the action if a mordant for preparing for the subsequent washing-awayof the non-exposed portions; effecting such Washing-away by immersion inhot Water; and finally hardening by tanning the reliefs thus obtained,and definitely) drying the band.

2. A process of manufacturing movable plates applicable, with the aid ofsuitable inks, to the continuous printing of positive cinenmtog'raphfilms. consisting essentially in: applying to the front face of apositive photo-print film a layer of bichromated gelatin applying cons,a strip of black paper; exposing for to the action of light, afterdrying, the hack of the hand thus prepared, so as to el'lect a gradualinsolubilizing of the gelatin layer through the said. film; subjectingthe gelatin layer, after having been so exposed to the light, to theaction of calcium lrvpochlorite, for preparing for the subsequentwashing-away of the non-exposed portions: el'l'ccting such washing-awayby immersion in hot water: and finally hardening ln tanning the reliefsthus obtained, and. definitely drying the band.

process of manufacturing lno'vable plates ap ')lical)le, with the aid ofsuitable in ks. to the continuous printing of positive cincmatograph'films, consisting essentially in: applying to, and uniting by pressurewith, the front face of a positi i 'e photo-print film a hand ofbichroinated gelatin, the contacting surfaces of said film and saidgelatin part a, 6,

to said layer, while still visar ss positive film; subjecting thegelatin layer,

after having been so exposed to the light, to the action of a mordant,for preparing for the' subsequent Washing-away of the nonexposedportions; efiecting such washingaway by immersion in hot Water andfinally tanning the reliefs thus obtained by successively dipping theband so prepared in a bath of potassium bichromate, exposing it to theaction of light, drying it, dipping it in a bath of chrome alum, againdrying it, dipping it in a bath of formol, and definitely drying it.

4. A process of manufacturing movable plates applicable, with the aid ofsuitable inks, to the continuous printing of positive cinematographfilms, consisting essentially in: applying to the front face of apositive photo-print film a band of bi'chromated gelatin; applying tothe outer'surface of said gelatin band, said outer surface havingpreviously been rendered viscous, a strip of black paper; exposing forthe desired time to the action of light, after drying, the back of thepositive film, While the said gelatin band is kept against the front ofsaid film, so as to eil'ect a gradual insolubilizing of the gelatin handthrough the said positive film; separating said positive film from saidgelatin band, after the latter has been so exposed to the light;subjecting the gelatin band to the action of calcium hypochlorite, forpreparing for the subsequent Washing-away of the non-exposed portions;effecting such Washing-away by immersion in hot vvater; and finallytanning the reliefs thus obtained by successively dipping the band soprepared in a bath of potassium bichromate,

opposing it to the action of light, drying it, dipping it in=a bath ofchrome alum, again drying it, dipping it in a bath of formol,

and definitely drying it.

5. The herein-described process of manufacturing movable platesapplicable, with the aid of suitable inks, to the continuous printing ofcinematograph films, consisting essentially in: applying to the frontface of a photo-print film a band of bichromat'ed gelatin; applying tothe outer surface of said gelatin band, said outer surface havingpreviously been rendered viscous, a strip of black paper; exposing forthe desired time to the action of light, after drying, the back of saidphoto-print film, while the said gelatin band is kept against the frontof said film, so as to efiect a gradual insolubilizing of the gelatinband through the said photo-print film; separating said photo-print filmfrom said gelatin band, after the latter has been so exposed to thelight; subjecting the gelatin band to the action of a mordant, forpreparing for the subsequent washing-away of the non-exposed portions;effecting such washing-away by immersion in hot water;

and finally hardening by tanning the reliefs thus obtained, anddefinitely drying the band.

6; The herein-described process of manufacturing' movable platesapplicable, with the aid of suitable inks, to the continuous printing ofcinematograph films, consisting essentially in: forming a marginal transparent band on each edge of a positive photo-print film; applying to thefront face of said film a layer of bichromated gelatin; applying to saidlayer, While still viscous, a strip of black-paper; exposing for thedesired time to the action of light, after drying, the back of the bandthus prepared, so as to effect a gradual insolubilizing of the gelatinlayer hrough the said film; subjecting the gelatin layer, after havingbeen so exposed to the light, to the action of a mordant, for preparingfor the subsequent Washing-away of the non-exposed portions; effectingsuch wast ng-away by immersion in hotiwater; and final y gardening bytanning the reliefs and marginal bands thus obtained, and definitelydrying the band.

7. A movable plate applicable with the aid of suitable inks, to thecontinuous printing of positive cinematograph films, on suitablesupports, comprising a continuous band of bichromated gelatin formedupon a positive film of indefinite length mounted on a flexible support,said gelatin band having hollows and reliefs which correspond,respectively, with the shadows and lights of the object, said hollowsand reliefs being produced during drawing of the band through theprinting press.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature.

ABEL BOULARAN, DIT DEVAL

